It's Only A Dream
by YuukiSynical
Summary: Karkat is having dreams. Dreams of his friends. Dreams of his and his friends' past lives as their ancestors. Dreams of Death.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic, so I really hope you enjoy it! **

* * *

It started out fuzzy, more of a hum than anything. But as time passed, it grew definition. He could make out shapes now. He knew he was surrounded by friends, but who were they? He could't hear them yet.

The shapes evened out. There were two females there, and one male. He knew who they were, and he could feel himself grinning. His eyes adjusted fully, and he saw their faces. His mouth opened, and he tried to talk, but only rasping came. The taller female, the wild looking one, came over and offered him a some water from a bowl. He gladly accepted. When he had his fill, he could feel her name on his tongue. _Nepeta_, he tried, but instead the name came out as Disciple. She turned back toward him and smiled. He was confused, but his face didn't show it. He looked to the other female. _Kanaya_, he tried, but out came Dolorosa. What was going on? He looked to the male. He knew this one, he was sure of it. _Sollux_. But no. Psiioniic. They gathered around him, holding him close. But something else was wrong. Why couldn't he move? His arms were above him, stretched painfully. He tugged them, trying to break free, but they didn't move. He looked in confusion to his friends, and they looked at him with pain in their eyes. He looked up to see what it was, and there was a flash of light.

Karkat woke in a daze. He tried hard to forget it. It was only a dream, after all. There couldn't really be a connection to anything. That was just silly.

He got up and got clean for the inevitable trials to come. He put off going downstairs as long as he could stave off the rumblings in his stomach. If he could avoid CrabDad for the day, he could start off just a little brighter. As soon as he heard the front portal slam shut, he hurried downstairs. He threw together a meal, and took it into the block containing the television. He turned it on, more for the noise than anything else, and scarfed down his food.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"KaRbRo? YoU iN tHeRe?" Karkat sighed. Of course. Gamzee had messaged him last night talking about coming over today. But what was it for?

"NO GAMZEE, NO ONES HOME. THAT'S WHY IM ANSWERING YOU." He sighed again and got up to open the door. Gamzee came barreling through. "SO WHATS SO IMPORTANT YOU HAD TO TELL ME IN PERSON?" He shut the door and went to sit back down on the couch.

"WeLl HeCk. ThE wAy YoUrE bEiN', i GoTtA mAkE aN aPpOiNtMeNt To SeE mY bEsT fRiEnD. WhAtS uP wItH tHaT aNyWaY? yOu JuSt BeEn SuPeR bUsY, nO oNe'S eVeN rEaLlY sEeN yOu FoR wEeKs. We'Re MiSsIn' YoU bRo."

Karkat sighed again. "I DON't KNOW GAMZEE. I JUST. I HAVE A LOT ON MY MIND. I HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN SLEEPING WELL, AND ITS KIND OF GETTING TO ME."

Concern etched itself onto Gamzee's face. "WeLl, YoU gOt AnY cLuE wHaT's GoIn' On? CaN i HeLp YoU iN aNy WaY?"

"I DONT KNOW. I'VE BEEN HAVING THESE WEIRD DREAMS." Gamzee nodded, and Karkat continued. "THEY'VE BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW. THEY GET MORE AND MORE VIVID EACH TIME, BUT ITS ALWAYS THE SAME THING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I WANT IT TO STOP. I HAVE A FEELING THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO GET WORSE FROM HERE."

"WhAtS hApPeNiN' iN tHeSe DrEaMs?"

"WELL, AT FIRST, IM JUST KIND OF THERE. IT FEELS LIKE I GOT KNOCKED OUT OR SOMETHING, AND I WAS JUST WAKING UP. THEN I START SEEING OUR FRIENDS. BUT ONLY, IT ISN'T REALLY THEM."

"WhAt Do YoU mEaN bY tHaT?"

"I MEAN, THEY LOOK OLDER. I CAN SEE THAT THEY LOOK LIKE THEM, BUT THEY AREN'T. AND WHEN I TRY TO SAY THEIR NAMES, IT COMES OUT DIFFERENT."

"WhIcH fRiEnDs ArE yOu SeEiN' bRo?"

"NEPETA, SOLLUX, AND KANAYA. BUT WHEN I TRY AND CALL FOR THEM, IT COMES OUT AS SOMETHING WEIRD. I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER ANY OF THE NAMES THAT COME OUT, BUT THEY COME AND LIKE, HUG ME. I TRY TO MOVE, BUT I CAN'T. MY WRISTS ARE BOUND BY SOMETHING, AND WHEN I LOOK UP TO SEE WHAT IT IS, I WAKE UP."

"SoUnDs LiKe OnE hElL oF a DrEaM."

"IT REALLY IS. I KIND OF WANT TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT I REALLY JUST WANT IT TO STOP. I FEEL LIKE I'M REALLY NOT GOING TO LIKE HOW IT ENDS." Karkat held his head in his hands, and Gamzee reached out to pat his back, attempting to comfort him. Karkat just sat there, massaging his temples.

"WHAT IF..WHAT IF IT DOESN'T STOP GAMZEE. WHAT IF THIS IS A DREAM OF THE FUTURE. AND IT'LL KEEP HAPPENING UNTIL IT COMES TRUE." Karkat looked up to him, worry etching his face.

"KaR, iT'lL bE aLl RiGhT. yOu JuSt GoTtA cAlM dOwN, aNd TaKe SoMe DeEp BrEaThEs. YoU gOt To LeT oUt YoUr RaGe, AnD yOuR pAiN. It AiN't GoOd To KeEp It BoTtLeD uP iNsIDe." Karkat stared at him for a minute, and his face softened.

"YOU'RE RIGHT GAMZEE. IF I KEEP WORRYING ABOUT IT, IT'LL JUST GET WORSE. I JUST NEED TO RELAX."

Gamzee looked relieved, and smiled at him. "WaNnA wATcH a MoViE?" Karkat looked at him, and smiled.

"ALL RIGHT. YOU PICK."


	2. Chapter 2

He stared down the huge troll with defiance. Though he couldn't move, he was defensive, and he felt nothing but contempt for him. His mouth opened, and he spoke in the strange voice that was his but wasn't. "You are angry, because of the hate bred into you. I am sorry you must feel this way." The huge troll growled, and lunged at him, clawing scratches into his flesh, exposing his candy red blood. He grinned, and said "NOW ALL CAN SEE THE MUTANT FREAK FOR WHAT HE REALLY IS."

Everything faded to white, and there was that large troll again. Except, he was much older. A club came crashing down on his head, and his final screams rang.

Karkat woke up gasping, his eyes wide with fear. He was shaking, because the troll he saw in his dream, the huge one. Looked like Gamzee. He had started to hyperventilate, and it took longer than it should have to calm down. He kept telling himself 'It was only a dream, it was only a dream. Its not real, its not real.'

When he was finally able to calm himself down, he looked at the clock. Shit, he was late. He had promised Terezi he would help her with something. Gog only knows what she would want him to do. He trudged out of his 'coon, and got ready to go over to her hive. He grabbed some toast, and ate on his walk over.

When he arrived, he saw Terezi cutting down some of the older scalemates, the ones that were rotten.

"H3Y K4RKL3S." She grinned in his direction as she sliced through another rope.

"HEY TEREZI. SORRY IM LATE, I SLEPT IN."

"NO PROBL3M! 1LL JUST H4V3 TO WORK YOU H4RD3R TH3N!" She cackled, and he could tell she was joking, so he chuckled softly. "R34LLY, 1 JUST W4NT3D FOR US TO H4NG OUT." She jumped down from the branch she was balancing on, and landed perfectly on her feet. Karkat couldn't help but smile at her.

"I STILL DONT KNOW HOW YOU CAN DO THAT WITHOUT BREAKING EVERYTHING IN YOUR BODY."

"SW33PS 4ND SW33PS OF PR4CT1CE." She grinned widely and hugged Karkat close, smiling into his shoulder. "iTS R34LLY GOOD TO SM3LL YOU 4G41N K4RK4T. 1 M1SS3D YOUR SC3NT."

"ITS GOOD TO SEE YOU TEREZI. I DIDNT REALIZE HOW MUCH I REALLY MISSED YOU. IM SORRY IVE BEEN AVOIDING EVERYONE. I JUST…" He drifted off and looked away, sitting down on a nearby stump. Terezi frowned and followed him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"1TS OK K4R. WH4TS WRONG?" She looked at him worriedly.

"I JUST…IVE BEEN HAVING THESE HORRIBLE DREAMS. I MEAN, MORE HORRIBLE THAN USUAL. WELL, THEY ARENT SO MUCH HORRIBLE AS HORRIBLY CONFUSING. UGH. I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE THEM."

"WH4T H4PP3NS 1N TH3S3 DR34MS K4RKL3S?"

"IM SEEING OUR FRIENDS, BUT THEY ARENT REALLY OUR FRIENDS." She looked confused, so he continued. "I MEAN, I GUESS IM SEEING OLDER VERSIONS OF THEM. WELL, MAINLY, AT LEAST UNTIL LAST NIGHT, KANAYA, SOLLUX, AND NEPETA. THEN LAST NIGHT, AFTER I SPENT THE WHOLE DAY WITH GAMZEE, HIS OLDER VERSION SHOWED UP INSTEAD OF THE OTHERS." He shook his head and looked pointedly at the ground. "AND…IN HIS ONE, I SAW HIS OLDER SELF..DIE."

Terezi's eyes grew wide, but she just pulled him close to her, and rubbed his back. "1TS OK K4RKL3S, 1TLL B3 4LL R1GHT."

"I JUST DONT WANT TO THINK ABOUT THEM ANYMORE. HAVING TO THINK ABOUT THEM WHILE IM ASLEEP IS SCARY ENOUGH. I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE THEM IN MY PAN WHILE IM AWAKE TOO."

Terezi grinned at him and stood up, pulling him up with her. "TH3N 1 H4V3 TH3 P3RF3CT PL4N!" She cackled and dragged Karkat off into the woods, where they proceeded to find Nepeta and have the silliest game of hide-and-seek any of them had played in sweeps. Karkat hadn't been this happy since his fourth wriggling day.


	3. Chapter 3

post/49617790683/hm

I found this picture on Tumblr, and it just SPOKE to me. I had already had the idea for this chapter, but the picture is just PERFECT!

Also, THANK YOU for your feedback! You guys are fabulous! Every time I get an email for it, I jump up and down like an overexcited squirrel. (Im not kidding. thankfully Im in my room when I get them. XD ))

Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated!

* * *

He was walking through a forest. Where was he? He seemed to have a purpose. When his body stopped, he didn't. He was looking at himself. But, it…wasn't? He was older, at least, he thought so. He didn't look that different, just with different clothes. Maybe a little taller? He had a cape on too. As he was examining his body, he heard a rustling, and turned to see a particular troll strolling through between the trees. He gasped. "T-Terezi?!" Of course she didn't hear him. His body smiled and got down on one knee, grasping her hand, and kissing it. His body stood, and grasped her forearm, shaking it softly, but firmly. His mouth opened, and the voice that has haunted him for nights spoke once more.

"Redglare! It is so nice to see you once more! I trust you are keeping well?" Terezi but not Terezi smiled at him, and hugged him gently. His non-corporal form reached a hand toward her as the image started to fade, and he yelled for her in fear. He knew what was coming.

He was in a crowd of lowerbloods, all shoved together in a plaza. He jerked his arm away when one reached for him, only to back into another and pass through. He wasn't there. He noticed the chanting as it became louder and louder, and turned toward the platform in the center. He screamed as he saw a figure that was reminiscent of Vriska glaring at Terezi-but-not-Terezi. He started running for the platform, forgetting for a moment that he could do nothing to stop what was coming. Some of the lowbloods crawled onto the stage, and the Vriska-look-alike backed away smiling. They grabbed ahold of the other's form as she struggled and screamed for help. They grabbed her, clawed her. Some bit her. Her teal blood flowed freely as the indiscernible chanting grew definition.

KILL THE HIGHBLOOD! MAKE HER PAY!

KILL THE HIGHBLOOD! MAKE HER PAY!

They dragged her by her hair to the noose in the center of the platform. She saw it, and struggled all the harder. They stood her up, tears and blood flowing down her face in rivers as they tightened it around her delicate throat. The lowbloods were laughing at her as the backed off, not even bothering to secure her hands, and she tried to get it off as they pulled the lever, releasing the platform she was standing on. Her arms tugged at the noose with desperation, but he could see she couldn't hold on much longer. Her arms grew limp, and her body stopped shaking, but her hands were still up by her throat, her fingers stuck between the noose and her skin.

He screamed and shot up. He crawled out of his coon, unable to use his legs. He curled into a ball and sobbed for hours.

He wouldn't be able to last much longer. Not if he had to keep having these dreams. They were getting worse all the time.

He finally got up and got clean. He was determined to try and stop this from happening anymore. He thought about who he should see to try and help rid him of these horrid nightmares. He finally decided on Sollux. Sollux had that thing where he heard the voices of the soon to be dead, maybe he had an idea on what he could do.

He ran out of his hive, and walked the way there. As he climbed the steps of the communal hive-stem, he sighed. He had almost forgotten how high up Sollux's apartment was.

He finally reached the door, and had to catch his breath. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He yelled out "SOLLUX. ARE YOU HERE? I KINDA NEED TO TALK TO YOU." He heard trudging, and a half-asleep Sollux answered the door.

"What do you want KK? Ii wa2 2leepiing."

"WELL, ITS NOT MY FAULT YOU SLEEP TOO DAMN MUCH." He sighed, and looked down. The almost always present bags under his eyes were much more prominent, and his face was more gaunt than it should have been. Sollux looked at him with a frown that was tempered with concern.

"A-are you allriight KK? You look liike 2hiit. Have you been 2leepiing or eatiing at all?"

"N-NOT REALLY." He sighed again as Sollux grabbed his way too-thin wrist and dragged him into the apartment's kitchen,

"2iit. Ii'll make 2ome pancake2 or 2omethiing."

"N-NO ITS ALL RIGHT. IM NOT HUNGRY AT ALL. YOU DONT HAVE TO DO ANYTHI-" His voice died down after he saw the glare Sollux was giving him. He put his hands on the table, and laid his head down on them. "THANKS SOLLUX." He nodded and reached down to dig out the pan for the pancakes, and began making them. The sound of sizzling filled the air, and they sat in an almost comfortable silence while Sollux made the meal.

A large stack of pancakes plopped down in front of Karkat, and he looked up to see Sollux looking at him, almost angrily. "Eat." He put a fork in front of him, and Kar grabbed it and dug in. They really were good pancakes. As he was chewing a bite, Sollux sat on the chair opposite and steepled his fingers, looking at Karkat while he scarfed down the food.

When he started to finally slow down, Sollux sighed and put his hands down flat on the table. "Alriight KK. Tiime two tell me everythiing." He sighed, and sat down the fork.

"SOLLUX, EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART. MY WHOLE REALITY IS JUST, WELL." He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and opened them again. "IVE BEEN HAVING THESE NIGHTMARES."

"About what?"

"DEATH." He looked Sollux in the eyes, and Sollux could see his pain. And he was in pain. With each new death he witnessed, he died a little too.

"That2 2ome powerful 2hiit KK. Iim 2orry you have two deal wiith iit." He looked to Karkat with empathy. "Ii know how that 2hiit iis."

"I KNOW. THATS WHY I CAME HERE. I THOUGHT…MAYBE…MAYBE YOU COULD HELP. AT THE VERY LEAST YOU COULD UNDERSTAND HOW IM FEELING." Sollux looked at him with sorrow.

"Ii really wii2h ii could help, but ii cant. Iim 2o, 2o, 2orry." He stood up and walked behind him, hugging him.

Karkat looked down, and sniffled. Fuck, he was about to cry. He cleared his throat, and stood up, walking swiftly to the bathroom. Sollux was left standing there, staring at the leftover pancakes.

He went in and shut and locked the door, looking in the mirror. He really had gotten thinner. He lifted up the edge of his sweater, and looked at his exposed ribs. Where had those come from? He poked one, and dropped his sweater back down. He had always been relatively thin, but he had NEVER been able to see his ribs before. It had really been a long time since he had really LOOKED at himself. He felt himself looking for similarities between his body and the other not-him. He shook his head before he could make any connections, and he heard a knock at the door. He jumped, and shook his head as he heard Sollux clear his throat.

"Kk, are you all riight?" He was talking softer than he normally would. He silently cursed himself for looking so weak in front of his friend.

"YEAH, IM FINE. I JUST HAD TO USE THE BATHROOM." It was a blatant lie. He knew Sollux had heard the sniffle. He knew how much he was hurting. He had gone through something similar when he had first started hearing the voices.

"Ii got a new game grub, Ii wa2 wonderiing iif you wanted two play." His voice was still softer, but it shifted to something a bit more normal.

"YEAH, ILL BE RIGHT OUT." He smiled half-heartedly at the mirror. He might as well hang out with his friend. Maybe he can forget the dreams, at least for a while. He remembered to flush the load gaper. Gotta keep up appearances. He walked out to find Sollux already starting up the game. He handed him a controller, and proceeded to beat Karkat in everything they played.

He loved when he did that.


	4. Chapter 4

So for some reason the link didn't copy correctly? It really is a good picture, but here's the link again

post/49617790683/hm

Also, feedback is ALWAYS appreciated!

* * *

He opened his eyes to the face of a familiar troll. He was smiling down at him, but inside, he was screaming. His consciousness left his form again as he watched them embrace.

"Psii, aren't we training today?" That _voice_ called out.

"II thought we'd take a break. Maybe go swiimmiing iinstead." Sollux but not Sollux grinned at his form, and his consciousness cringed. As the light started to fade, he ran toward him, screaming. He couldn't take seeing this!

The light returned, only now he was on a starship. He had no physical form, just as before, but he could feel everything. He walked through the ship, and ended up in the cockpit. He walked forward to the window, but turned quickly when he heard coughing behind him. It was him. His heart shattered as he saw his friend, his friend that cared for him in his own special way, rigged to the ship. He was a Helmsman. He shook his head violently as tears drenched his face. He rushed toward his almost limp form as the hacking coughs grew in intensity. He saw blood drip from his mouth. He reached out a hand, and was surprised to be able to touch him. He took his hand away, and some mustard blood dripped from it. He rushed to hug him, but passed through. Though he could feel his friend's weak form, his friend could not feel him. He turned, tears freshly flowing, to see Her. Her Imperious Condescension reached out, stroking his face, watching him die so horribly, so painfully. He screamed "JUST KILL HIM ALREADY! STOP HIS SUFFERING! PLEASE!" She couldn't hear him. She looked down though, and he could just see a faint shimmer of pink. Was…..was she crying? For him? She looked up, and placed a pained kiss on his forehead as his last breathe left his mangled body.

* * *

Karkat woke up slowly. It wasn't so much of a shock anymore. More of….more of a dull ache pulling him back to reality. He saw bright red tears drop onto his hands. He hadn't even realized he was crying.

He drudged out of his coon, and went to take a shower. As the water beat down on him, he clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't see anyone else die. Not like that. He had already realized that seeing his friends during his waking hours triggered the nightmares. He was going to have to lock himself away.

He trudged out, and went to lay in his floor. He wasn't going to look at pester chum, or out the window, or even in the rest of his hive. He couldn't take it.

Karkat laid on his floor for hours. Eventually, a dull knocking came from the front door. He could hear someone yelling his name, but he blocked it out. He figured that even hearing their voices would start up a new nightmare. He tried to lose himself in his thoughts, and almost succeeded. He would have, had Kanaya not barged into his room.

"Karkat? Karkat, Are You Okay?" She leaned down to look at his face. It was blank, his eyes dull and sunken in. "Karkat, Honey, You Gotta Get Up. Come On, I'll Make You Some Food, All Right?" She rubbed his shoulder, trying to be comforting. He could hear the slight panic in her voice, even though she was trying to hide it.

His mouth cracked open, and his eyes stayed still as he told her "i can't do it anymore kanaya. i can't keep doing this. i can't live with this anymore." His voice was unnaturally soft, nothing more than a whisper, and that panicked her more than what he was saying. Pain showed on her face as she sat down and placed his head in her lap, stroking his hair.

"It'll Be All Right Karkat. You'll Be Okay." She repeated her statement over and over, trying to keep herself calm more than she was trying to comfort him. This was worse than any of their other friend's had said. He was shutting down, and she couldn't let that happen. She held him all day, afraid to leave him alone. She didn't know how to help, but she couldn't contact anyone else to come and help them. She rubbed his back, and pet his hair until he starting drifting off, and set a pillow under his head. She walked to the computer and logged into her pester chum.

She was going to need help if Karkat was to be saved.

* * *

Im sorry this chapter took so long! My internet went out three days before the seventh, and it was out for over a week and a half. And since (for some reason) Ive been uploading everything on a day ending in seven, of COURSE i had to wait.

Also, I havent said this yet, but OBVIOUSLY I dont own Homestuck.


	5. Chapter 5

OH MY GOSH

So, you guys are FABULOUS. I just, just, EEEE!

This feedback is BEAUTIFUL

So here, have another chapter!

((I don't own Homestuck. Im not nearly that creative))

* * *

Drifting through the void again, all he could do was cry. He didn't want to see this. He couldn't just watch her die. Regardless of his thoughts, the colors blurred in, and a scene took hold. He was sitting on a rock. It looked like he was in a cave? He looked around, and saw grubs crawling about. He was in a brooding cavern! When he heard footsteps, he tried to close his eyes. But he couldn't. He wasn't even there. There was no way to prevent this from happening. His field of vision was turned to see a female, reminiscent of Kanaya, wearing a beautiful jade dress, stepping around the many many grubs. His consciousness hovered over her as she walked, and he saw the exact moment she noticed the bright, candy red shell. He winced inwardly as she rushed over to where it was lying. When she picked it up, he almost thought, for a brief moment, that it was all over. He almost sighed in relief. But, as she looked at the wriggler, that bright, candy red, the..the mutant… she looked upon him with love. As he watched her wrap him up in a jade shawl, his heart ached. The vision faded out, but another quickly took its place.

A child, that child, ran up to the beautiful female and tugged on her dress. "Mother, may I go play? I promise not to wander! Please?"

"Now Signless, you know that you can't." She looked upon him with sadness. "There is nothing I wish more than for you to be able to play, to have fun. To live a normal life." He looked down, and started to turn away, but she kneeled and held his shoulders. "But you were meant for better things. You are a chance. A chance for the world to change. You are so very, very special. And I am so very proud of you." She smiled at him, and stood up, brushing the small amount of dust off her dress. "How about you go get the paints out, and we can paint a beautiful picture together?" He smiled, nodded, and ran off, his mother smiling tenderly after him.

That scene soon faded into nothingness as well, and yet ANOTHER took its place.

He was seeing himself again, but… something was wrong. He was bleeding, and in public. His arms were bound, blistering, steaming. His screams rang through a full courtyard, and he could see his mother rushing to help him. She was grabbed by a couple bluebloods, who chained her arms behind her. They forced her to her knees, but held her head so she had to watch her son in such horrible pain. Jade tears streaked down her face, and the bluebloods just laughed. As the heat died down from the cuffs, they released her, and grinned as she ran forward to try to help him.

He could feel it, it was coming. The vision faded, and he could feel tears on his face, though he didn't seem to have one at the moment.

There she was again. But…her beautiful dress was gone. She was wearing a dress made of sackcloth, though she managed to make it look presentable. She was sweeping a floor, when she heard a noise behind her. She turned around quickly, only to see a small troll, wearing all black. "Well, I suppose you're here to kill me. Am I correct?" The troll simply nodded, and she surprised him by smiling. "If you could, could you make it somewhat painless?" The figure hesitated, then nodded again. He could see her being approached, and the small, but agile hands grasping her head, then twisting it harshly, breaking her neck with a sickening crunch. As her body fell to the ground, he started sobbing.

KANAYA'S POV

She had messaged every single on of their friends, and managed to convince them to come over that day. She had been watching Karkat sleep for the past hour or so, and when bright red tears started to fall from his eyes, she almost woke him up. Almost. She stopped herself after she was reminded that he hadn't been sleeping. It was when he started sobbing that she rushed over and started shaking him gently. "Karkat? Karkat, Honey, You Need To Wake Up. Karkat?"

His eyes shot open, and when he registered that it was Kanaya in front of him, he only sobbed harder, though he grasped her and hugged her as hard as he could.

KARKAT'S POV

Oh gog he had just watched her die. She had been killed, and it was all his fault. It was all his fault. He had been why she was killed, why she was a slave. He tried to talk to her, but he couldn't get out any words. His frail form shook as he tried to calm down, and it took a bit before he realized she was rubbing his back, whispering soothing words into his ear. Once he was able to stop sobbing, he leaned back awkwardly, only to be pulled back into a hug by Kanaya.

"It'll Be Okay Karkat. Are You Okay Now?"

"y-yeah." He hadn't realized how small his voice had become. He couldn't force out near the volume and intensity he could in the past. It matched his body.

She let him go, and without a word, stood up, helping him up, then dragging him to the ablution block. "w-what are you doing?"

"You Need To Get Cleaned Up. I Do Not Think Your Friends Would Care So Much About The Color, Just More About The Amount On Your Face."

"w-what do you mean friends? Kanaya, what are you talking about."

"You Are Not Getting Better. You Acted Tough Around The Others, And It Made Your Situation Seem Better Than It Really Was. So Now, You're Getting Worse. Therefore, I Have Contacted Every One Of Our Friends, And They Shall Be Here Shortly." All he could do was stare at her. They reached the ablution block, and she sat him down on the edge of the tub. She dug around in the cabinet, and pulled out a washcloth, wet it, and proceeded to gently wash off his face. He just watched her, and when he was clean, she nodded, and rinsed out the cloth.

"th-thank you Kanaya." He looked at the floor, and sighed. "thanks for staying with me. I just. I tried to get through this on my own, but…but I can't anymore. you're right, it is getting worse. much worse. each time, I'm seeing more and more, and its killing me." He sighed again, and she grabbed his hand, gently pulling him to his feet. "where are we going?"

"To The Food Preparation Block. Im Going To Make Whatever You Want To Eat, And You're Going To Eat It. You Are Far Too Skinny." She pulled him in, and sat him down at the small table. "Now, What Would You Like To Eat?" She smiled gently.

"can I get some strawberry pancakes?"

"Why Of Course You Can." She grinned and started on making them. One by one, they flopped onto the plate, a picture of delicious perfection. For the first time in a while, he actually felt hungry, and he smiled brightly at her when she sat them down.

After he finished, they walked to the living block, and waited for the others.

This would end soon.

* * *

((Okay, don't worry, this is going to last for a while longer. You'll still get the chance to tear your own heart out after reading for a while yet.

I love you guys, so, so much.

Im going to attempt to update this again halfway to the next seven date, to finish out this 'day' of the story, and he'll receive another nightmare on another seven date.

Also, I MIGHT make the ending happy. I know it seems pretty bleak right now, but I want to know what you guys think. Happy, or sad to the end?))


	6. Chapter 6

Gamzee was the first to arrive, bounding up to the doorway, bursting in without knocking. He stumbled in, breathing hard, before he saw Karkat curled up on the couch. He caught his breath, and, grinning cautiously, walked over to sit next to him. He offered his hand without a word, and Karkat took it, holding onto it tightly, pulling him closer. They snuggled close, and Karkat sighed softly.

The others came soon after, walking up, knocking, getting settled. They all caught a glimpse or two of Karkat, though they noticeably tried not to stare. He grinned weakly each, though it seemed to make them more tense than anything. Once Equius arrived, and got settled, Kanaya started off.

"Now, We All Know Why We Are Here." She looked pointedly, but kindly at him. "We Must Find A Way To Help Karkat Get Through These Horrible Nightmares." She turned to look straight at him, and he flinched slightly as she stated "But To Help You Fully, We Must Know Everything." He blanched, but Gamzee massaged his wrist to calm him.

When he spoke, it was in the soft tones of before, and almost everyone cringed at how horribly weak he sounded. "o-ok." He looked down, gulped, then looked back up. "to, well, explain a lot of this, i.." Could he say it? Could he out his terrifying secret so easily? Would…would his friends accept it? Gamzee looked at him and nodded. He already knew, and accepted him just the same. But…would the others? "I'm a mutant. i have..b-bright red blood." They looked at him solemnly, calmly. Nepeta pet on Equius, obviously keeping him calm. So far so good. "i started having these.. awful nightmares two weeks ago. they really started getting bad when..when gamzee came over and hung out with me. before that, it was really just vague images. i was..tied up or something. it felt like i had been knocked out and had just started waking up. i saw…i saw you" pointing to Nepeta "you," pointing to Sollux, "and you." Pointing to Kanaya. "you were gathered around me, and seemed glad to see me, but really sad. you…you didn't have the same names that you have now. like…you had titles. like the adults. i think…i think kanaya was dol…dolorisn? dolorous? something like that." Vriska sat up. "Sollux, i think…i think his was psii? psiion…something." Vriska scooted towards the edge of her chair, obviously enthralled. "and…and nepeta was like…disciple. yeah. that was hers." Vriska's eyes widened, but kept her mouth shut. "when i tried to move, i couldn't and when i tried to see what was keeping me still, i woke up." He reached out for his glass of water and took a couple sips before continuing. "after gamzee came over, i saw..i saw a huge version of him..come.." he was shaking, but Gamzee rubbed his back comfortingly. "come and s-slice open my stomach. shallowly, but..but enough to where my blood came out. and when the image faded, i saw…i saw him die." He turned, and looked into Gamzee's eyes with pain, before continuing. "then, the next day, after i went and was around terezi…i saw an older her too. i saw her death." He transferred his pained gaze to her, and her eyes watered up. "the next day i spent with sollux. and…and that night, i witnessed..his death." He moved again to Sollux. "and last night." He moved to Kanaya. "I saw her death. it was….different than the others. i saw more, and it hurt." He turned his head to stare at a spot in the center of the room. "with each death i see, it gets more and more vivid. I see more, and i feel more. and…and i can't take it anymore."

The room fell silent, but soon, Vriska raised her hand slowly. Kanaya nodded at her, and she spoke. "I wasn't quite certain at first, 8ut… I think you may 8e witnessing the life of your ancestor." His eyes shot to her, and she continued carefully. "I've read tales of the Signless. The Sufferer, as he was later called. From my ancestor's journal I mean. From what I've read, all other mentions of him and his time here were erased. 8ut it is said that he saw visions of a far away past, of someone who looked a lot like himself. He preached about a 8etter Alternia, 8ased off these visions. 8ut…he was executed for his beliefs. Horri8ly so, from what I've read." She looked down at him, with…was that sorrow? "I'm sorry Karkat. I don't now how that must feel." He was speechless. He must really look terrible if she was showing pity toward him.

"so… you think I'm this 'sufferer's' descendant?" She nodded. "how…how did he deal with this stuff?" He looked to her again.

"I've attempted to find more on him, 8ut most of it, as my ancestor stated, was o8literated. I did happen to find a very helpful journal written by one of his companions, the Dolorosa. Or, and I'm pretty sure, Kanaya's ancestor." All eyes turned to her, and she showed nothing but shock. "It was one of her many, though most were destroyed. She apparently chronicled his entire life, from when she found him as a gru8, to when he was executed. The one I found chronicled his pupation period. This was just before he started preaching. It mentions a lot of the visions he experienced, and how terrifying they were. Apparently, he was just as scared of them as you are of your own. They apparently got worse as the different stages appeared. But it mentions, near the end, that once he finished pupating, they all but stopped." Relief flooded him, and he noticeably relaxed.

"so they will stop?" He looked to her with hope.

"Supposedly so. It isn't a guarantee, but, it would seem that you are following the same pattern." He smiled, bigger than he had in a while, and closed his eyes, relaxing against Gamzee. It would end. He could go on. He wouldn't have to-

"So He HaS tO pUpAtE bEfOrE iT sToPs." Gamzee spoke in a worried tone. His eyes popped open, and he looked up at him.

Vriska's forehead crinkled. "Yes. Unfortunately, it would seem as if he had a particularly painful pupation." He looked at her with horror apparent, and all the others did as well. But Gamzee, just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and grinned slightly.

"We'Ll JuSt HaVe To MaKe SuRe He StAyS aS cOmFoRtAbLe As PoSsIbLe ThEn." The others nodded in agreement, and Karkat couldn't help but smile.

He started to drift off as the others started idle chatter, working out different things they each would have to do. Shifts to watch him, who could make what food, and when. Stuff like that. He just laid, content in Gamzee's lap, and drifted off too sleep. It would all be okay.

* * *

BUT YOU WILL HAVE A HELL OF A TIME GETTING THERE!

*cackling into the distance*

Sorry, I really tried to get this chapter done before now, I just cant THINK sometimes. anyway, here you go!


	7. Chapter 7

He stumbled through the woods, aimlessly searching. But what was he even looking for? He felt panic as he realized it was another dream. He could feel himself tense up, but he felt a soothing presence, and he calmed down. What was that? Was it humming? Whatever it was, it was nice. He stumbled into a clearing, and noticed some trolls turned away from him. The humming continued, but he couldn't see where it was coming from.

One by one, the eleven forms turned to face him. His eyes opened wide as he recognized each. The first was Gamzee, but..his eyes were..well, they didn't seem like they were there. They were just a white void. He blinked, and his form shifted to the older version, then shifted back. He shook slightly as another turned. It was Terezi. Her glasses fell from her face, revealing the same void. He shook his head as she shifted between the adult and herself. Then Sollux turned. Then Kanaya. Each troll followed in turn, and when he reached Feferi, he was crying. He could feel a warm embrace, though there didn't seem to be anything touching him. Some of them walked to him, patting him on the shoulder, smiling, seeming almost…happy. "Death ii2n't 2o bad KK." Sollux hugged him, and walked back over to Aradia, and they floated away. He tried to reach for them, but was pulled into another hug, this time by Terezi. "1TS OK K4RKL3S. W3 R34LLY 4R3 4LL R1GHT." He was shaking his head. "BUT I MISS YOU. I CANT LET YOU GO. I CANT LOSE ANYONE. I CANT HANDLE IT!" HE was screaming, crying, shaking. Gamzee walked over and held him close. "KaRbRo, YoU cAn. YoUrE sTrOnGeR tHaN aLl Of Us. AnD iNfInEtLy MoRe PrEcIoUs. YoU kNoW i'D sTaY wItH yOu If I cOuLd. We AlL wOuLd. We'Re JuSt HaPpY tO hAvE bEeN aBlE tO sPeNd ThIs MuCh TiMe WiTh YoU." They all nodded, and they all grouped together in a giant group hug, with Karkat in the direct center. He closed his eyes, and they were all in their adult forms, still in the group hug. He looked down at himself, and saw his adult form as well. He looked back up at them and smiled.

His eyes cracked open, and he could see multiple faces watching him with worry. He was still in Gamzee's lap, and Gamzee was petting his hair soothingly, humming something that sounded a bit like a lullaby. He blinked, and looked over to the others, but he smiled. He hadn't seen a death, though that didn't at all mean it was over. When he smiled, the others visibly relaxed. He couldn't see Nepeta or Equius anywhere, so he just assumed they were pow-wowing or something. Kanaya stepped over to him and sat next to his hips on the couch.

She smiled and asked "Are You Hungry Karkat? Would You Like Anything To Eat?" He thought for a second, and his stomach grumbled. He tried not to smile, and ended up laughing, startling everyone in the room. Since when did Karkat, Mr. Grumps-a-lot laugh? And like that?

"Im absolutely STARVING." He sat up and bounced into the food preparation block and dug in the cabinets. Everyone just kind of shuffled in after him, dumbfounded. He pulled out a bag of red licorice, a jar of peanut butter, some marshmallows, bread, and, after some thought, a can of spray cheese. They tried not to look at him like he was crazy, but it was kind of hard, especially when he was layering everything between four slices of the bread. He looked at it, licked his lips, and dug in. Sollux left the room quickly, after Karkat almost unhinged his jaw trying to get the massive sandwich-thing into his mouth. They watched him finish it off, half in awe, half in disgust. No one said anything when he bounced back out of the room, and went and took a shower. When they heard the water turn on, they looked at each other, their faces almost frozen in the semi-shock.

Gamzee was the first to say something. "WeLl, ThAt WaS…."

Kanaya finished "… Interesting."

Vriska just sat there with her mouth hanging open. "Well THATS an understatement. I heard about trolls having weird cravings before and during pupation, but daaaaaaaang. How did he even fit that in his mouth?" The others just kind of nodded. The water turned off, and Karkat came bouncing back in the kitchen. He looked around excitedly, and grabbed Gamzee's hand. He pulled him back into the living block, and they others shuffled in after them. He looked to Vriska before asking her to put on a movie or something. She just kind of sat there, before jumping to her feet and searching through the movies. She pulled out some random romcom, and pushed it into the DVD player. Karkat settled into Gamzee's lap again, intent on the movie. The others tried to pay attention, they really did, but they couldn't stop glancing at Karkat.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Damn it Karkat. What in the WORLD are you eating? Stop that Karkat. Its not healthy. KARKAT WHY.**

**Lol. **

**OH MY GOSH FEEDBACK WHAT. **

**You guys are the best of the best of the best. Seriously. All the good noodle stars for you. **

**All of them. LOVE YA**


	8. Chapter 8

"OHHHHHHHHH MY GOOOOOG. MY FUCKING BACK HURTS. ARGHHHHHH."

It had been a couple days, and Karkat was almost writhing on the floor. "It Must Be The Growing Pains Dear. I'm Afraid All We Can Do Is Wait."

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO FUCKING WAIT. MAKE THE FUCKING PAIN STOPPPPPP." He rolled over onto his stomach. "I CAN'T GET FUCKING COMFORTABLE." Gamzee eyed him and sat on the floor, motioning for him to come closer to him. Once he rolled over, Gamzee pulled him into his lap on his stomach, and started rubbing on his shoulders. "GAMZEE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOI-" He was silenced, and a look of bliss came across his face. Gamzee's hands moved down his back, working out the tension that came with the pains. Karkat was putty in his hands. Soon, a soft noise could be heard. Nepeta scooted over, trying to hear what it was, and it stopped.

Her eyes grew wide, and she exclaimed ":33 KARKITTY WERE YOU PURRING?" All eyes were suddenly on him, and he looked up sheepishly.

"MAYBE." Gamzee went back to rubbing his back, and he melted again. Nepeta was grabbed by Equius and dragged out before she could say anything else, though an extremely high pitched squeal could sort of be heard.

"D- Nepeta, you are not to cause him and undue stress. He is going through a tough time already. You saw that even though he is a…mutant…. I was able to control myself duly. I would e%pect you to do the same."

":33 Oh Equius. I understand. But still! He was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PURRFECT!" She melted into a puddle of squees, and Equius just grabbed his temples.

"D- What will I do with you."

* * *

Karkat had fallen asleep, again in Gamzee's lap. Everyone had gathered to talk about what they were to do, though they had to be quiet. They didn't want to disturb his almost null sleep.

"He Seems To Be Progressing Accordingly, Though The Pain He Was Experiencing Wasn't Even Supposed To Happen During His Waking Hours."

Vriska spoke up after a minute. "Wellllllll that iiiiiiiis what I meant by the difficult pupation. The Signless only experienced the pains during waking hours. Though…" Kanaya motioned for her to go on. "It said, in the book, that they'll get much worse. Eventually…he'll end up screaming in pain for hours on end. This um…this part of the book had tear stains in it." The room grew quiet.

"WhAt Do YoU tHiNk We CoUlD dO? We CaN't HaVe KaRbRo In ThAt KiNd Of PaIn." The room grew silent as each troll pondered it over.

"Maybe….. and iim ju2t 2ayiing maybe…. we could drug hiim? You know, le22en the paiin, make hiim a liittle deliiriiou2."

"With What Do You Suggest We Drug Him?" Everyone looked to Kanaya in surprise. They would have thought that her, of all trolls, would be abhorred at the idea of drugging someone. She noticed them staring, and rolled her eyes. "Oh Please. You Think I Want To See Him In Pain? And Even If I Disagree, You Would Most Likely End Up Drugging Him Anyway. I Might As Well Agree, Even If Its Only To Make Sure You Do Not End Up Stunting His Growth."

"Wellllllll, we could try sopor slime?"

Gamzee shook his head quickly. Everyone looked to him. This night was full of surprises. "SoPoR sLiMe Is AdDiCtIvE. aLl It DoEs Is PuT yOu OuT oF yOuR mInD, wHiCh Is GoOd FoR mE, bUt It WoUlDn'T dO a ThInG fOr HiM." They looked at him with even more surprise. "I hEaRd Of ThIs PlAnT dEeP iN tHe WoOdS tHaT wOrKs As A ReAlLy GrEaT mUsClE rElAxEr. ItS nOt UsEd OfTeN, cAuSe ItS rEaLlY sTrOnG, bUt I tHiNk It WoUlD wOrK mIrAcLeS fOr HiM." They were speechless for a moment, then Equius stepped up.

"D- Where may this plant be found. I will volunteer to fetch it." Nepeta just stared at him, a grin growing slowly on her face.

":33 I'll go too! Anything to help Karkitty!"

"D- You will not. You will stay here where it is safe."

":33 Equius, when will you understand you can't order me around? I'm going with you, and thats final."

"D- You will not."

":33 I will, and you can't stop me!"

"D- Nepeta, stop this foolishness." She glared at him, and Kanaya took the silence for herself.

"Equius, It Would Be A Good Idea To Take Her Along. She Knows The Woods Better Than You, And Is A Highly Capable Hunter. In Fact, If You Hadn't Volunteered, I Would Have Asked Her To Find It Herself." Nepeta took the chance to stick her tongue out at him and grin. He sighed in defeat.

"D- Fine. But you will stay close to me. And we will enter and leave the woods together."

":33 I wouldn't have it any other way." She grinned at him, victorious.

"Gamzee, Do You Happen To Know Where To Find This Plant?" He nodded, and she motioned for him to speak.

"Um, WeLl, ItS aCtUaLlY sUpPoSeD tO bE a SeCrEt. ThE sUbJuGgLaToRs KePt It FoR tHeMsElVeS fOr A lOnG tImE. iT wAs FaIrLy ReCeNtLy ThEy StOpPeD uSiNg It FoR aNyThInG oThEr ThAn PuPaTiOn." They looked at him in confusion. "Uh, InDiGo BlOoDs HaVe A rEaL hArD tImE pUpAtInG tOo." He averted his eyes as they continued staring. "ItS iN tHe WoOdS oFf ThE sOuThEaSt CoRnEr Of My HiVe. ThE sPoT mIgHt Be GuArDeD, sO…" He looked up sheepishly at Equius. "YoUlL hAvE tO pReTeNd To Be My SeRvAnT tHaT i SeNt To FeTcH sOmE oF iT." He looked back down. Equius almost couldn't contain his excitement. Gamzee focused on petting Karkat's hair softly.

"D- I shall do my best to acquire the plant." He struggled for a minute, trying to make himself not do anything unduly stupid. Like bow. Or call him any title. He settled for grinning largely, showing off his broken teeth.

"YoUlL hAvE tO tAkE sOmEtHiNg ThAt PrOvEs yOuRe My SeRvAnT. uM…" He dug around in his pocket, and pulled out what seemed like a small wing beast's skull, with his sign carved into it, on a long leather string. "ThIs OuGhT tO wOrK." He looked at it with surprise before holding out his hand. Nepeta walked over and pushed his hand down gently.

":33 I should purrobably hold onto this. You might crush it with your overly strong hands." She grabbed it gently and slipped it into a pocket. He nodded and smiled halfway at her without realizing it.

"D- Thank you Nepeta." She nodded and grinned slightly.

"You Two Should Go Soon, Before Karkat Wakes. It Would Be Good To Have It As Soon As Possible." She looked to Vriska. "Approximately How Long Did His Pupation Last? We Need To Plan Accordingly."

"Wellllllll, about three and a half weeks, almost four once the growing pains started." She nodded and looked to Gamzee, who was figuring out how much to get.

"We'Ll NeEd AbOuT tWo PoUnDs Of It ThEn." Both Equius and Nepeta nodded, and left swiftly out the front door.

Karkat stirred slightly, and Gamzee pet on his hair. He grinned and settled back down, softly, almost inaudibly, purring. Gamzee grinned down at him, then settled again with his back against the couch. His eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted into oblivion.

* * *

You guys are SO lucky I didn't write this yesterday morning.

Lets just say it involved eyes and rock candy.

Yeah. Anyway, Im gonna have my friend upload this for me, so say THANKS FRIEND. XD.

Love you guys! Love feedback! ALWAYS.

(I still jump around my room in excitement whenever I get a fav or follow. ESPECIALLY a review.)


	9. Chapter 9

Darkness. He was floating, alone. It was a pleasant darkness, soft, warm. But what was that? He shivered, and everything went cold again. He started to feel panic as a scene set in once more.

Pain, he felt immense pain in his wrists. He tried to stay strong, but he could feel all his resolve flowing out, and he screamed, cursed. Cried. He blacked out, in his dream. He didn't know how that could even happen. His eyes opened, and through semi defiant tears he could see a hulking figure pull back on a bow. He almost started when he recognized the sign. It looked like Equius's. The figure grinned and let loose an arrow, and it imbedded itself into his abdomen. He screamed out in pain, and the figure just grinned harder.

The scene faded, and he could see the same figure, this time in front of..was that…Nepeta? Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! He could feel his heart race, though he didn't seem to be there anymore. The figure pulled back on his bow, and she looked down, crying. The figure shook slightly. He almost released the arrow, but… He lowered the bow, and told her to run. To run and not ever come back. She looked at him, olive streaking her face as she stood and started running. She looked back at him once before she disappeared.

The scene shifted, and another took its place. He was walking, or really, drifting behind himself. His form was talking, laughing. Smiling. And….kissing? He was kissing the troll who looked like Nepeta! She smiled back at him, then ran off. What the hell.

Another scene flew at him. It looked like that giant bulk of a troll again. He was completely alone, surrounded by robots. He didn't seem to be that old, but he knew his time was up. He was fighting one of the robots off, and it got him in a choke hold. It seemed to have grabbed him too tight, and he could hear the crunch of his throat, though that didn't seem to be enough to kill him. He watched as the troll flailed, cried as he suffocated, unable to get the robot to let go. His heart wrenched as the form grew still.

The olive blooded female appeared again. She was in a cave. The walls were covered in writing, and pictures. And…and his symbol. It was everywhere. She was much older, he could tell. He watched as she laid down on a pile of furs in the corner, breathing heavily. His heart hurt even more. He willed himself to float over to her, and he did. His almost ghostly form sat on the edge of her bed as her eyes, still sparkling, even after all the pain, even after all the time she had lasted, closed for the last time. She breathed her last breath, and he could feel his heart breaking. She had died smiling.

* * *

His eyes focused, and he saw Kanaya's face. She was standing over him, almost crying. He blinked, and shook his head. He could see the relief wash over her, and it was then his ears started to hear again.

"Karkat! Thank Gog! Y-Your Eyes Just Popped Open, We Thought You Had Awoken, But When We Tried To Talk To You, You Showed No Signs Of Having Heard Us, Or Even Seen Us!" She embraced him, and he could feel her shaking. He had really scared her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"IM SORRY KANAYA. I DIDNT MEAN TO MAKE YOU WORRY. I DIDNT MEAN TO MAKE ANYONE WORRY." He looked around, and saw nothing but relief. But…they were missing two faces. "WHERE ARE EQUIUS AND NEPETA?"

Kanaya looked away, but Gamzee spoke up. "ThEy WeNt To GeT sOmE oF tHiS mUsClE rElAxEr PlAnT tHaT i ToLd Em AbOuT. iTs SuPpOsEd To Be ReAl GoOd FoR hElPiN wItH pUpAtIoN pAiNs. WhY dO yA aSk?"

"I…UM….I had another dream," Everyone looked to him with concern, especially after his voice dropped quite a few decibels.

"Who wa2 iit thii2 tiime KK?"

"Both of them…" He looked down, and placed his hand over his heart. Both Gamzee and Sollux moved to hug him close. Sollux let go, but Gamzee held onto him from behind, and he was perfectly fine with that.

The door flew open, and in walked Equius, carrying Nepeta. She had some blood on her head, and was pale. Karkat immediately stood up and ran to her. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Equius was shaking as he carried her to the couch, and gently, carefully laid her on it. "D- W-we agreed to enter the woods together, but I knew we would have to split up so I could get the plant. I left her for no more than 15 minutes. O-only 15 minutes." He started crying, shaking. Kanaya went over to her and examined her head. She turned around and started ordering people to get things for her, warm water, a cloth, a bandage. Feferi grabbed Eridan and they went and retrieved everything on the list. When they got back, Kanaya had set Nepeta straight on the couch, and placed a pillow under her head. She grabbed the things from them, offered a curt thanks, and got to work. Within five minutes, she had cleaned and bandaged her head.

She stood, wiping her hands on the cloth, and turned to talk to them. She spoke quietly. "She Seems To Have Suffered A Very Mild Concussion. She Will Be Fine Once She Wakes, Though I Do Not Envy The Headache She Will Have." Equius almost collapsed with relief, and Kanaya moved to pat his shoulder. He nodded, and grinned.

"D- Thank you Kanaya. I don't… Thank you." He lost his train of thought, and drifted into silence. Karkat grabbed Gamzee's hand and dragged him into the food preparation block. He made sandwiches for everyone, and had Gamzee carry the tray out to them. They ate in an appreciative silence, and settled down for the rest of the day.

When Nepeta woke up, she sat up quickly, and grabbed at her head, wincing. Equius got up and swiftly moved to be beside her. She grinned at him weakly, and he smiled nervously back at her.

"D- Are you all right Nepeta?"

":33 Im fine Equius. I just got jumped. You know I could take them if it was a fair fight." She smiled at him, and hugged him close.

"D- I know." He smiled and laid his head on her shoulder gently.

Karkat grinned slightly at them, and leaned back onto his own moirail. Gamzee just grinned and hugged him close.

* * *

**Im sorry this chapter is kind of shitty. I just can't seem to find MOTIVATION. ARHGHEHFJA. Anyway.**


	10. Chapter 10

***cackling**

**So you know, instead of updating on time like a good little fan fiction writer, I forgot in favor of doing eight loads of laundry. Not my choice. **

**So you know, to make up for it, I GIVE YOU THIS. **

**Enjoy my pretties. **

* * *

Screaming. Endless, horrifying screaming. It was everywhere, and nowhere. He grabbed his head, curled into a ball. There were screams of rage, screams of pain, screams from loss, screams from terror. All loud, endless, and everywhere. Why? Why was this happening? What did he do wrong? Why did he hear this? He sat up quickly to see his own reflection. There was bright, bright red blood, leaking from his eyes. There was black oozing from his mouth. There was a rainbow decorating his hair. His mouth was wide, and he was screaming. He couldn't hear it though, it drowned in the voices of the thousands around him. He turned around, and they appeared, slowly. Their mouths open in pain, in fear, in anger. Thousands upon thousands of trolls of every blood, but in the front were them. All his friends, drenched in their colors. Making a morbid rainbow. They reached out their arms, grabbing for him, and he stood, backing away. He backed into the mirror, but they kept getting closer, closer. He could feel it crack, slowly, surely. Just as their collective fingers brushed his chest, he fell through, and into darkness and silence. The screaming was gone. His friends were gone. All that was left was the void. And soon, he was swallowed into its maw.

* * *

"KaNaYa, HeLp HiM! i CaNt WaKe HiM uP! aNd He WoNt StOp ScReAmInG!" Gamzee grabbed his hair and tugged, great indigo tears falling down his cheeks, running his paint together. Kanaya looked up from Karkat's screaming, writhing form with pity.

She looked down in pain and stated, "I Can Not. I Can't Seem To Wake Him Either." Her forehead scrunched, and she placed her hands over her eyes as she cried softly. Everyone else had fled to the other side of the hive. They just couldn't take seeing him so hurt, and they couldn't take the sheer noise of his screams. He had started screaming almost an hour earlier, and there wasn't even the slightest waver in the noise level. It wasn't even really so much the loudness either though. The tone. The horrid, nerve wracking, gut wrenching, tear jerking tone. He sounded like he was dying, in the most slow and painful way anyone could ever die, while watching the love of his life be murdered brutally, and his friends tortured.

And suddenly, it was gone. The silence rang, and Karkat lay still on the floor, sweat glistening on his forehead, bruises showing dully on his arms where he had flailed in his throes. Gamzee fell to his knees beside him, and watched him breathe carefully, evenly, before he hugged his sleeping form gently. Kanaya dropped her hands to see his forehead smooth out, and see him breathing evenly again. She smiled tiredly at him, and went to grab a damp cloth so she could wipe off his glistening forehead.

As she was walking back, the door in the back end of the hallway creaked open, and Sollux's head stuck out. "Ii2 he ok?" Kanaya nodded, and Sollux visibly relaxed, opening the door more. "Can…. can we 2ee hiim? Ii2 he awake?"

Her forehead scrunched a bit, and she responded. "He Hasn't Woken Yet. Which Is Quite Strange To Be Honest. He Usually Wakes Up Right After." She looked toward the living block, and then back to him. "I Don't Think Seeing Him Will Do Him Any Good Right Now. I'm…..Going To Check On Him." She turned worriedly toward the living block and walked briskly. She sat on her knees in front of his crumpled form, and looked at him closely. She noticed that his face was relaxed, which it never has been before. Even when he retreated within himself, his face wasn't relaxed. Something was wrong. "Gamzee, I Need You To Get Up And Roll Karkat Onto His Back. Now." Her curt voice startled him, and he complied immediately. When he looked at her face, he could see that something was wrong. She leaned her head down to his chest, and listened to his blood pusher. Her face grew more and more worried, creases forming on her forehead. "Gamzee, I Need You To Get A Flashlight. Now Please." He jumped up and went to grab one, rushing back to her once he retrieved it. She nodded a thanks and took it. She scooted up to his head, and opened one of his eyelids, only to fall back as she was greeted by a bright red iris. She shook herself a bit and got back up, opening it again and shining the light on it. His pupil didn't move. She started breathing hard, and almost screamed for Feferi to come. When she came running, Kanaya's face was covered in jade, and she pointed, with a shaking hand, to Karkat. When Feferi saw his limp form, she almost screamed too. She joined Kanaya on the floor, and listened to his blood pusher. It had a steady enough beat, but it was so faint, she feared he was going. As she listened though, it seemed to hold steady at its faint speed. She looked up to Kanaya and Gamzee, and the others as they filed in and tried to hold themselves together.

"H-e's in a coma."

* * *

**Am I an asshole?**

**The answer is a resounding** **_yes_**


	11. Chapter 11

His face was slack. Pale. Gamzee hadn't left his side since he fell under. His blood pusher remained steady, so he was still alive, but there was no life. Kanaya stood at the door to the room he was in, and held onto the doorway. She could barely look at him without crying. At least, not for long. None of them could. Gamzee would barely eat anything, and he almost wouldn't sleep. It had been a week since Karkat fell under, and everyone was already losing hope. Gamzee would talk to him, tell him the stories of when they used to play together. And when those ran out, he would tell him fairy tales. He kept making deliberately stupid jokes in the hope that maybe, maybe Karkat would hear one and wake up, if only to tell him how awful it was. But his face was still slack. Pale. Lifeless.

Kanaya walked up to him sitting there, holding onto Karkat's limp hand. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he glanced up at her. She smiled somberly, and he grinned the same. "Feferi Will Bring In Some Food For You Soon. She's Been Cooking Almost Nonstop, And I Have To Say It Is Delicious." Gamzee just nodded, and laid his head down on the bed next to Karkat's arm. Kanaya patted his shoulder and walked out. True to her word, Feferi walked in about five minutes later with a tray almost overflowing with food. He had to admit, it did smell really good. His stomach growled, and he smiled and nodded at her before she left. He scooted his chair over to the little table the food was on, and dug in, keeping an eye on Karkat just in case.

* * *

He decided he liked the void. It was silent, dark. Big. And warm. So very warm. There weren't any horrible images of his dead friends, or memories that weren't his own to flood into his mind. There wasn't any death here. Just pure nothingness. Yet… He could feel that something was wrong. Was he supposed to be somewhere? Did someone need him? He tried to think, but he couldn't. This warmth was becoming oppressive. He shook his head hard. Why couldn't he remember! Why was he here? Who was he? His eyes shot open, and he saw a beast made of darkness caressing his face. This wasn't void, it was a trap! He growled, his anger renewed. His sickle appeared in his hands, and he sliced the appendage off the beast. It roared, and retreated into the nothingness, and he could think once more. His name was Karkat Vantas. He lived on Alternia. He had some of the best friends anyone could have. And he was a fighter.

* * *

His eyes shot open, and he gasped. He was on a bed in a dark room somewhere. He shot up, and there was Gamzee, chewing on a roll. He almost choked on it, but he spit it out and cried "KaRkAt!" He shot up out of his seat and ran over to him, hugging him tightly, tears streaking down his face. Karkat could hear footsteps running down the hallway, and the door slammed open. There were gasps, and tears. They walked slowly to the bed, and joined in hugging him. Soon, he was surrounded by his friends. When they let go, he spoke, though his voice was little more than a rasp from disuse. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Sollux was the first to speak up.

"You were iin a coma for a week." He looked at him, almost not believing what he said, and Sollux gasped.

"WHAT?"

"Y-your eye2 are b-briight red."

"HUH?" Kanaya walked over holding a mirror, and he looked into his own bright, candy red eyes. "WELL SHIT."

Gamzee whispered in his ear "ThEyRe BeAuTiFuL bRo." Karkat tried not to blush, but failed, and a pink coloring came across his cheeks.

"You Seem To Have Completed Your Pupation. How Do You Feel?"

"HUNGRY AS SHIT." Sollux snorted, and Feferi giggled. He half glared at them, but it changed into a grin as he realized how dumb he sounded.

"Lets get you somefin to eat then!" Feferi bubbled and almost bounced out of the room, dragging Sollux behind her.

"YoU oKaY tO wAlK bRo?" Gamzee sidled up to him and looped his arm underneath, supporting him so he wouldn't fall. Karkat scooted over to the side of the mattress and slipped off the edge, almost falling, and looked to Gamzee in thanks. They shuffled slowly to the dining block and sat down at the table just as Sollux and Feferi came out holding plates overflowing with food. Karkat looked at it with almost a ferocity, and as soon as the plate sat down, he dug in. Halfway though, he glanced up to see everyone staring at him, so he stuck out his tongue, which just happened to still be covered in food.

"Kar, that's disgusting!" Eridan said with a laugh. Everyone else seemed to agree, and giggled as Karkat continued to scarf down the admittedly delicious food.

When he finished, he sat back in his chair, a hand on his stomach, and sighed contently. He closed his eyes for a moment, through they snapped back open when he heard someone gently clearing their throat. It was Aradia.

"We were w0ndering if y0u had an0ther dream while in y0ur c0ma." He looked to her and nodded, once, slowly. Looking down, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"BEFORE I WENT INTO IT, I WAS IN SOME KIND OF CHAMBER. THERE WAS SCREAMING EVERYWHERE, AND I TRIED TO MAKE IT STOP, BUT IT DIDNT WORK. WHEN I LOOKED UP, I COULD SEE ALL OF YOU COVERED IN YOUR RESPECTIVE BLOOD COLORS, REACHING FOR ME. I… I TRIED TO GET AWAY, AND PUSHED INTO THIS MIRROR THING, AND FELL BACK INTO IT. I GUESS THATS WHEN I WENT INTO THE COMA ITSELF. WHILE I WAS THERE, IT SEEMED SO… SO PEACEFUL. TO BE HONEST I CONTEMPLATED STAYING, BUT… I COULD'NT REMEMBER YOUR FACES, YOUR NAMES." He looked up at them, and Kanaya's hand was over her mouth, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "SO I FOUGHT BACK. I REFUSED TO STAY THERE WHEN MY FRIENDS COULD HAVE NEEDED ME." He glanced at them, almost defiantly. "AFTER ALL, I COULDN'T JUST LEAVE YOU ASSHOLES HERE ALONE, NOW COULD I." He grinned at them, and some grinned back, but Kanaya stayed in her chair, tears falling. His smile fell and he stood, walking over to her. He crouched in front of her, and smiled again, softer. She just about jumped forward and hugged him tightly. He smiled into her shoulder and pet her hair, whispering into her ear. "It'll be all right Kanaya. I won't leave you anymore." She sobbed softly, and he pushed away gently, so Vriska could take over. She swooped in, petting her hair, shooshing her until she calmed down entirely.

Once dinner was over, they decided to all sleep in the same room. They piled together, and one by one, fell asleep. For once, Karkat stayed awake, and listened to them breathe softly, gently. Gamzee's head was next to his, and he looked up to see Gamzee still awake as well, watching him.

"What are you doing?" Karkat whispered to him, slightly grinning.

"NoThInG rEaLlY. JuSt… MaKiN sUrE yOuR rEaLlY aLl RiGhT." Karkat nodded, and reached his hand over to Gamzee, and Gamzee took hold of it.

"I'm fine Gamzee. Thanks to all you guys, I'm all right." Gamzee nodded, and grinned slightly. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep, his hand still encircling Karkat's. Karkat smiled, and closed his eyes. And he finally. Finally fell asleep.

* * *

**ITS THE FINAL COUNTDOWN**

**DOO DOO DOOOOOO DO. DOO DOO DO DO DOOOOO. **

**One more chapter guys! **

**Also, sorry this took SO LONG. I may or may not have been stuck on part of it for a week. And a half. Heh. **


	12. Chapter 12

**This is IT guys!**

**Its been a long, angst filled ride, and Ive never been happier. I love you guys, so here, for your consumption, is the last chapter of Its Only A Dream.**

* * *

It wasn't dark, but it wasn't light. It simply was. He almost panicked once he realized he was dreaming again, but it wasn't a bad dream. He was floating listlessly, and his feet found ground to stand on. He walked forward, and his friends, each smiling, happy to see him, materialized around him. He smiled back, and ran forward to hug them. He closed his eyes, opened them. His friends smiled, fading away, and that man appeared once more. The Signless. He looked upon Karkat with happiness, and pride.

"My progeny, my life. Karkat, I am so, so incredibly proud of you. You have been so very strong." He walked over and hugged him tightly, though Karkat pushed him gently away.

"I WASN'T STRONG. IF IT WASNT FOR MY FRIENDS I WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT." He simply grinned and spoke again.

"Don't you see Karkat? Because of you, and your strength, your friends, trolls of every color, came together and helped you get through something I couldn't face on my own either. You achieved what I could only dream of, just by being yourself. You got everyone to get along, and accept you for who you are. And for that, my boy, you are stronger than any troll I've ever known." Tears welled up in both his and Karkat's eyes as they hugged tightly again.

When this scene faded, Karkat woke, but only briefly. He looked around, seeing his friends all over. Feferi cuddling with Sollux, Kanaya with Vriska. And Gamzee, his best bro, still holding his hand. He smiled, and closed his eyes.

* * *

**And thats it guys! Thank you so, so very much!**


End file.
